Chatham, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Chatham refers to two neighboring municipalities in Morris County
, New Jersey
– Chatham Borough
and Chatham Township
. The two are separate municipalities, the first a municipality that was settled in 1710 as a colonial English village in the Province of New Jersey
. The second, more southern, and less densely populated, municipality was formed in 1806 as a township
, an form of municipal government peculiar to the state of New Jersey
, delineating a region including several communities that initially included the village dating from 1710 (from which it took its name).
All except one of the communities included in the 1806 township governmental district seceded
from it soon thereafter, when other forms of government became available to municipalities in the relatively new, post-revolution state of New Jersey, leaving only Green Village in an undefined rural district that experienced extensive residential development after 1960, when several farms and woodlands were sold off to developers.
Two community services are shared by Chatham Borough and Chatham Township: since 1974 they have shared library services and in 1986 a joint school district was created and extended to most portions of Chatham Township for all grades. Some portions of Chatham Township are provided federal post office services by the Chatham post office. Green Village
, another early town like Chatham that dates to colonial times, remains partially in Chatham Township and has a separate post office and zip code. The residents of Chatham receive door-to-door delivery of mail and its post office provides rural delivery using roadside mailboxes to the portions of Chatham Township not served by Green Village.
.
, founded in 1872, serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
.
The library joined the Morris Automated Information Network (MAIN), an electronic database linking together all the public libraries in Morris County, in 1985. An expansion costing nearly $4,000,000 (with the governments of both Chatham Borough and Chatham Township contributing a combined $2,000,000) was completed and dedicated on January 11, 2004.
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
– Chatham Borough
Chatham Borough, New Jersey
Chatham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,962.The village that now is Chatham first was settled by Europeans in 1710 in Morris Township, within the Province of New Jersey...
and Chatham Township
Chatham Township, New Jersey
Chatham Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,452.Chatham Township was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township and Morris Township, based on...
. The two are separate municipalities, the first a municipality that was settled in 1710 as a colonial English village in the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
. The second, more southern, and less densely populated, municipality was formed in 1806 as a township
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
, an form of municipal government peculiar to the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, delineating a region including several communities that initially included the village dating from 1710 (from which it took its name).
All except one of the communities included in the 1806 township governmental district seceded
Urban secession
Urban secession is a city's secession from its surrounding region, to form a new political unit. This new unit is usually a subdivision of the same country as its surroundings, but in some cases, full sovereignty may be attained, in which case the unit is usually called a city-state...
from it soon thereafter, when other forms of government became available to municipalities in the relatively new, post-revolution state of New Jersey, leaving only Green Village in an undefined rural district that experienced extensive residential development after 1960, when several farms and woodlands were sold off to developers.
Two community services are shared by Chatham Borough and Chatham Township: since 1974 they have shared library services and in 1986 a joint school district was created and extended to most portions of Chatham Township for all grades. Some portions of Chatham Township are provided federal post office services by the Chatham post office. Green Village
Green Village, New Jersey
Green Village is an unincorporated area located within portions of both Harding Township and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey. It is located just north of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It is named after Dr...
, another early town like Chatham that dates to colonial times, remains partially in Chatham Township and has a separate post office and zip code. The residents of Chatham receive door-to-door delivery of mail and its post office provides rural delivery using roadside mailboxes to the portions of Chatham Township not served by Green Village.
Public schools
Chatham Borough and Chatham Township held elections in November 1986 to consider joining their separate school districts. This proposal was supported by the voters of both municipalities and since then, they now share a regionalized school district, the School District of the ChathamsSchool District of the Chathams
The School District of the Chathams is a regional public school district serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Chatham Borough and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States....
.
Elementary schools
- Milton Avenue School. Grades K - 3.
- Southern Boulevard School. Grades K - 3.
- Washington Avenue School. Grades K - 3.
- Lafayette School Grades 4 & 5.
Middle school
- Chatham Middle School Grades 6 - 8.
High school
- Chatham High SchoolChatham High School (New Jersey)Chatham High School is an American four-year comprehensive public high school located at 255 Lafayette Avenue in Chatham Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, operating as part of the School District of the Chathams. The school serves students in grades 9-12...
Grades 9 - 12. Principal – Darren Groh. For the 2004-05 school year, the high school was recognized as a No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools ProgramThe Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
by the United States Department of EducationUnited States Department of EducationThe United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
. It was the 12th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey MonthlyNew Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.
Private schools
Saint Patrick SchoolSaint Patrick School (New Jersey)
Saint Patrick School is a Catholic school founded in 1872 that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the parishes of St. Patrick and Corpus Christi Roman Catholic churches located in Chatham, New Jersey. The school is operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese...
, founded in 1872, serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
The Diocese of Paterson is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, which includes three counties in northern New Jersey: Passaic, Morris, and Sussex. The city of Paterson, third-largest in the state of New Jersey, was chosen as the episcopal see, even though...
.
Library
A single library, renamed the Library of The Chathams now serves both municipalities. A library was founded in Chatham in 1907. After going through a number of buildings, the library's current site on Main Street was chosen after the Fairview Hotel burned down completely: The land was bought in the early 1920s by Charles L. Lum. The building was dedicated and opened to the public in 1924. A referendum was placed on the November 1974 ballot for Jointure, the measure passed. The library is administered by six trustees, who are appointed jointly by the councils of both municipalities and their mayors (or their representatives), as well as a representative from the joint school district.The library joined the Morris Automated Information Network (MAIN), an electronic database linking together all the public libraries in Morris County, in 1985. An expansion costing nearly $4,000,000 (with the governments of both Chatham Borough and Chatham Township contributing a combined $2,000,000) was completed and dedicated on January 11, 2004.
Events
- Sanctuary Concerts, a non-profit volunteer-led organization, hosts live acoustic music performances twice monthly from September through May at the Presbyterian Church on Southern Boulevard.
Sources
- John P. Snyder: The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries, 1606-1968, Trenton, Bureau of Geology and Topography, 1969. p. 191-2.
- The New Jersey municipal data book ed. by Ruth R. Hornor. Palo Alto, Calif. : Information Publications, 2005. Entries on Chatham Borough and Chatham Township.
- United States Census, 2000